diff --git a/share/examples/etc/make.conf b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
index 3052bea1c22..95f62998a07 100644
--- a/share/examples/etc/make.conf
+++ b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@
 #NO_OBJC=	true	# do not build Objective C support
 #NO_OPENSSH=	true	# do not build OpenSSH
 #NO_OPENSSL=	true	# do not build OpenSSL (implies NO_OPENSSH)
+#NO_PERL_WRAPPER= true 	# do not build the wrapper in /usr/bin/perl
 #NO_SENDMAIL=	true	# do not build sendmail and related programs
 #NO_SHAREDOCS=	true	# do not build the 4.4BSD legacy docs
 #NO_TCSH=	true	# do not build and install /bin/csh (which is tcsh)
diff --git a/share/man/man5/make.conf.5 b/share/man/man5/make.conf.5
index f7a510fb347..3af64dc1ef7 100644
--- a/share/man/man5/make.conf.5
+++ b/share/man/man5/make.conf.5
@@ -417,6 +417,10 @@ Set to not build OpenSSH.
 .Pq Vt bool
 Set to not build OpenSSL (implies
 .Va NO_OPENSSH ) .
+.It Va NO_PERL_WRAPPER
+.Pq Vt bool
+Set to not build the perl wrapper which would otherwise
+be installed as /usr/bin/perl.
 .It Va NO_SENDMAIL
 .Pq Vt bool
 Set to not build
diff --git a/usr.bin/Makefile b/usr.bin/Makefile
index 5a2f12114ae..9023e594c49 100644
--- a/usr.bin/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/Makefile
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ SUBDIR+=dig \
 	host
 .endif
 
-.if !defined(NO_PERL)
+.if !defined(NO_PERL_WRAPPER)
 SUBDIR+=perl
 .endif